In five short years, Margaret Coons has accomplished much to be proud of. From launching an innovative, cashew-based cheese line at the Farmer’s Market in London, Ontario to recognition as an award-winning category leader in the natural foods industry, Nuts For Cheese™ is adding a cashew-based, dairy-free butter to its popular Nuts For™ lineup and launching into the US Market.
A vegetarian and then vegan from a young age, Margaret Coons embarked on her culinary journey working summers at Muskoka Lakes Golf and Country Club from 2006-2010. With the goal of becoming a restaurateur, she became a certified vegan chef in London, Ontario, experimenting after hours to create creamy sauces emulating cheese, using nuts and seeds.
Today, her six delicious vegan cheese varieties–made from Certified Organic and Fairtrade cashews–are available in more than 1,500 stores across Canada including Gravenhurts’s Sobeys, Port Carling’s Foodland and Ciboulette Et Cie in Midland, amongst others in the Muskoka Region. Nuts For Cheese recently entered the US market and launched a new product line: Nuts For Butter™ in Salted Original and Herb & Garlic flavours.
“I’ve always been a foodie. My vision has been to boost the reputation of plant-based food by showing people you can create delicious, vegan options that look and taste great,” says Coons. The company recently became the world’s first vegan cheese producer to achieve Fairtrade status, meaning key ingredients like cashews and coconut milk are ethically sourced from farmers and workers in the global south.
With 25 employees operating out of a 20,000 square foot facility, Coons is focused on continued growth. “I feel very lucky. We’ve been overwhelmed with support from vegans and non-vegans alike. A lot of people are choosing healthier options or have a dietary sensitivity which has increased demand. It’s been such a rewarding journey.”
The growth of Nuts For Cheese exemplifies the strength of Ontario’s food sector and in particular, plant-based proteins. According to Nielsen Research, 43% of Canadians are looking to add more plant-based foods into their diet and Recent Google data shows a 113% spike in plant-based and vegan-related searches in Canada since 2016, with vegan cheese taking the top spot at 5,317 average monthly searches.
This is a sponsored post submitted by Nuts For Cheese
